Page 102 of The Sinner
The woman fidgeted with her hands for a time before she finally spoke again. “Your wife is with child.”
Pain seared through him, blinding him with its force. Glynis was carrying his child, and she had not seen fit to tell him. How long had she kept this from him—and why? Had she been planning to leave him all along?
* * *
“Have ye seen your father?” Glynis asked Sorcha when she came barreling up the steps of the keep.
Sorcha pointed in the direction of the beach.
“Don’t run inside,” she said, and touched Sorcha’s cheek.
Glynis found Alex sitting alone on the beach. When she stood beside him, he did not acknowledge her.
“I am going home,” she said.
“This is your home.”
“I’m returning to my father’s,” she said. “Ye can supply a boat, or I’ll steal one.”
Alex continued staring off at the horizon as he spoke. “Did ye plan to leave and never tell me about the child?”
Glynis sucked in her breath. How did he know about the babe? Although he still did not look at her, she could feel the anger and hurt vibrating off him. Ach, it had been a mistake not to tell him.
“I haven’t known long,” she said in a soft voice. “My fluxes have always been irregular, and I thought I was barren, so I didn’t believe it at first. I wanted to be certain before I told ye.”
“But ye did know, and ye kept it from me.”
Glynis had wanted to save him from the disappointment if it turned out she was wrong. But she had been going to tell him soon.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “But it doesn’t change anything.”
“It doesn’t?” he said, his voice dangerously low. He turned to face her, and his eyes burned through her like a torch to parchment.
“I can’t live with ye now.” Her voice shook, despite herself. “I want to go to my father’s.”
“If you’re that set upon it,” Alex said, his eyes hard as ice, “then I will allow ye to leave after the child is born.”
“After? But that’s months away,” she said. “Ye can’t keep me here.”
“As I said, ye may leave after the child is born, if that is what ye want,” Alex said. “But the child stays here.”
“Ye can’t mean it,” Glynis said, her voice coming out high-pitched. “Ye wouldn’t try to force me to stay by threatening to keep my child.”
“I’m no threatening, and ye can do as ye like,” he said. “But the child will remain here.”
“Ye wouldn’t do that to me,” Glynis said, looking into his face for a bit of softness and finding none. “Nay, ye can’t hate me that much.”
“Ye are the one leaving. I asked ye to stay.” Alex got to his feet. “If ye are separated from our child, it’s by your own choice. I won’t take the blame for that.”
“I won’t let ye keep my child from me,” Glynis said, clenching her fists.
“Under Highland law, it is a father’s right.”
“But most fathers don’t enforce it—at least not when the child is young.” Glynis grabbed his sleeve, but he shook her off. “Alex, ye wouldn’t do this.”
“Since ye believe I would seduce that poor, frightened lass, Ùna,” Alex said, glaring down at her, “than ye know I’m capable of anything.”
CHAPTER 46
